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  #31  
Old 04-07-13, 01:12 PM
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Hi Frank,

yes the South African Rifles were the first SA troops in GEA and it is a nice badge. I dont think I've seen one posted before.
Did you see Dudley's collection of titles in the early part of this thread?

regards, Iain
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  #32  
Old 04-07-13, 07:37 PM
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Hi Iain,
Yes, I've followed this since it started, this particular campaign is seldom talked about, I like Dudley's badges, none of them turn up very often anymore.
Regards Frank
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  #33  
Old 05-07-13, 07:07 PM
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Frank and Mike

Great badges you guys have there, a number of great books have been written about this "sideshow campaign" as it is ofter referred to. I personally hate the expression along with "death penny" for the WW1 Memorial Plaques!

I have my grandfather flat brass 9th SAH title, basically it was one of my first badges. Frank this is the first time I have seen 2 SA Rifles badge, thanks for posting this rare example.

Brian
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  #34  
Old 05-07-13, 07:51 PM
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Hi Brian,
I have always thought this campaign to be very interesting, but, it lasted the whole war and that wretched hun went home and marched through Berlin really, I suppose, from his point of view, undefeated, he had given us the run around for over two years.
In that respect, it was like France and Flanders, but, when you do the all important number crunching, you see the utter waste in human life and horse flesh, just awful, really terrible.

Brian, I like Mike's 25th RF, they are not easy to find, I see plenty of copies here, but, very few real ones, they looked really superb on the front of the helmets when worn in that campaign.
Poor old Fred Selous, after all he had seen and done in the whole of Africa, does not seem very fair.

Do you have the 9th Sportsmans SA Infantry badge, some were made, though, I suspect the metal 9SAI was also worn and not just as a shoulder title.

Gentlemen, do we need a special thread on German South West Africa too?
I like that campaign, swift and decisive, cousin Bill's sausage factory gone forever (and his radio mast) along with the award of the 1914-15 star to South Africans and a whole host of special units with badges raised for this campaign.
Kind regards to you all, Frank
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  #35  
Old 05-07-13, 08:20 PM
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Sorry Brian,
Forget what I said about the 9th SAI, just read it again and see that your grandfather was actually in the 9th SA Horse! Sorry my mistake!
Frank
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  #36  
Old 15-07-13, 04:53 PM
Madziro Madziro is offline
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The 25th RF also occasionally wore the Frontiersmen badges in lieu of the grenade badges according to the illustration in Osprey "Armies in East Africa 1914 - 1918" as per attached.
Attached Images
File Type: jpg Frontiersmen cap badge.jpg (68.0 KB, 4 views)
File Type: jpg Frontiersmen collar.jpg (63.0 KB, 6 views)
File Type: jpg Frontiersmen title.jpg (43.6 KB, 4 views)
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  #37  
Old 15-07-13, 06:45 PM
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Hi, I have been following this thread with great interest. Here are my East African SA Infantry badges. I am looking for a 12 SAI to complete this part. Regards Andrew
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File Type: jpg SAI 002.JPG (33.1 KB, 26 views)
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  #38  
Old 15-07-13, 06:47 PM
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The 6 SAI I bought on the flash. It looks like it had been on it for a very long time, so I left it as is. It doesn't match the correct colours for 6 SAI. Dudley can you shed any light on it? Regards Andrew
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  #39  
Old 15-07-13, 11:50 PM
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Hi Dudley,
perhaps there was a shortage of the 25th Fusilier "Grenade" badges and thanks for sharing your Frontiersman badges.

Hi Andrew,
thanks for sharing your collection. I'll watch out for a 12 SAI for you.

regards, Iain
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Last edited by iaindh; 16-07-13 at 12:01 AM.
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  #40  
Old 16-07-13, 01:56 AM
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Madziro View Post
The 25th RF also occasionally wore the Frontiersmen badges in lieu of the grenade badges according to the illustration in Osprey "Armies in East Africa 1914 - 1918" as per attached.
Hi,
The badge illustrated in the Osprey Men-at-Arms, No. 379 Armies in East Africa 1914-18 I believe to quite incorrect, and to the best of my knowledge didn’t come out until after the Great War. The correct badge for the 25th Battalion as worn in this theatre is illustrated in the attached scan of Lt William Dartnell, who won the Victoria Cross whilst serving with this battalion during East African campaign, and as displayed in the earlier post by “natal01”.
Also, attached a Link to Darnell’s V.C.
Regards,
Zob.
http://www.awm.gov.au/people/547.asp

Last edited by zob; 16-07-13 at 02:01 AM. Reason: Typo
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  #41  
Old 16-07-13, 01:59 AM
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Quote:
Originally Posted by zob View Post
Hi,
The badge illustrated in the Osprey Men-at-Arms, No. 379 Armies in East Africa 1914-18 I believe to quite incorrect, and to the best of my knowledge didn’t come out until after the Great War. The correct badge for the 25th Battalion as worn in this theatre is illustrated in the attached scan of Lt William Dartnell, who won the Victoria Cross whilst serving with this battalion during East African campaign, and as displayed in the earlier post by “natal01”.
Also, attached a Link to Darnell’s V.C.
Regards,
Zob.
http://www.awm.gov.au/people/547.asp
Sorry, forgot to add picture first time round!
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File Type: jpg 015.jpg (74.5 KB, 19 views)

Last edited by zob; 16-07-13 at 02:02 AM. Reason: Typo
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  #42  
Old 16-07-13, 04:54 AM
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Quote:
Originally Posted by iaindh View Post
Hi Dudley,
perhaps there was a shortage of the 25th Fusilier "Grenade" badges and thanks for sharing your Frontiersman badges.

Hi Andrew,
thanks for sharing your collection. I'll watch out for a 12 SAI for you.

regards, Iain
Thanks Iain, I look forward to a badge surfacing. Regards Andrew
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  #43  
Old 16-07-13, 12:56 PM
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I am in agreement, this was the image that I always think of when the 25th are mentioned, great to see Lieut Dartnell on here too!

Quote:
Originally Posted by zob View Post
Hi,
The badge illustrated in the Osprey Men-at-Arms, No. 379 Armies in East Africa 1914-18 I believe to quite incorrect, and to the best of my knowledge didn’t come out until after the Great War. The correct badge for the 25th Battalion as worn in this theatre is illustrated in the attached scan of Lt William Dartnell, who won the Victoria Cross whilst serving with this battalion during East African campaign, and as displayed in the earlier post by “natal01”.
Also, attached a Link to Darnell’s V.C.
Regards,
Zob.
http://www.awm.gov.au/people/547.asp
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File Type: jpg P1020069.jpg (36.7 KB, 25 views)
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  #44  
Old 16-07-13, 07:54 PM
Madziro Madziro is offline
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Thanks for clearing up a misconception on the Frontiersmen badges from Osprey! Ironically the Frontiersmen are still going strong here in the UK and do an excellent job. They have their own website for those who are interested.

Andrew the SAI badge you have seems to have been placed on a sideways 1st SA Infantry Div flash from WW2 by somebody at some stage. I have a few variants of the flash and one is identical to yours. The colours were typical of the flashes of the day and they were generally always made from Melton cloth. Have attached a flash for interest. Not a very good image, I am afraid. Will get a better one. Hope this helps.

Regards

Dudley
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File Type: jpg 1st SA Div.jpg (26.8 KB, 6 views)
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  #45  
Old 17-07-13, 04:54 AM
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Thanks Dudley, have a grand day. Regards Andrew
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